Page 74 of The Wrong Bachelor

I couldn’t bring myself to speak, so I merely nodded and took the heart-shaped piece of paper he held out to me and walked over to the others. As I went to stand with them, I glanced down at the heart and found Cole had written a message on it again.

“I know your heart’s not in this, but mine is, and I’m hoping it’s big enough for the two of us.”

I frowned at the words and looked up at him. He was watching me closely; waiting for some kind of signal I’d read his note. I didn’t know what to make of it though. He seemed unhappy to have selected me, but this note indicated the opposite.

Cole glanced away from me as Angus began to speak, and I suddenly felt like I could breathe properly again. Being stared down by him was like being caught in an emotional vacuum.

“Evan and Zoe, I’m afraid that neither of you have been selected to continue in Cole’s search for true love,” Angus stated. “You have both been eliminated.”

The two of them nodded, giving the rest of us contestants a wave as they followed one of the film club members from the room. Evan paused by Cole as he went to leave. “If things don’t work out with the girls, Cole…” he said, lifting a hand to his ear like a telephone. “Call me,” he mouthed, earning a laugh from everyone in the room.

Angus waited for Evan to leave and the laughs to settle before he continued. “There will be no single date this week,” he announced. “Instead, the group date this Friday night will be an overnight activity.”

“What do you think that means?” Teagan whispered at my side.

I shrugged, hoping that Angus knew what he was doing. A thunderclap roared overhead, and the lights in Cole’s house flickered.

“And on that note, we’ll be calling it a night,” Angus said, focusing on the camera lens once more. “Don’t forget to watch next Sunday night, folks. It’s our final group date, and you’re going to love the mysterious location we’ll be taking our contestants. We’re on the home stretch now, and with just four contestants left, you’re going to want to stick around and see them battle it out to the finish! Good night!"

The camera finally dipped down, and Angus clapped before going around the room to congratulate everyone.

As the others began to pack up and leave, I looked down at my note again, trying to figure it out. I needed to talk to Cole and ask him what he meant. When I looked up again though, I could see he was chatting with Laurie. I wasn’t sure if I could watch the two of them together, so I made a quick and quiet exit. The note would have to wait.

The rain was heavy as I left the house and lightning streaked brightly across the sky. I was glad I didn’t have to walk far to get home.

“Madi, wait up,” Cole yelled, as I was halfway across the street.

I turned and watched as he ran out to meet me. He had taken his suit jacket off, and the white material of his shirt was quickly becoming soaked. It clung to his skin like a second layer, showing off his muscles.

“What is it, Cole?” I had to raise my voice to be heard over the rain as the downpour grew heavier.

“I need to speak with you,” he said, stopping to stand before me.

“Now?” I lifted my hands and pointed to the rain swirling around us. Already my hair was drenched, and I was feeling cold despite the humidity that clung to the air.

“Yes, now,” he replied.

I hesitated. I wanted to speak with him too, but he’d been distant with me in the ceremony, and I was suddenly scared of what he wanted with me.

“Please,” Cole begged. He took hold of my hand, drawing me close to him.

His fingers lightly gripped mine, and his eyes were swirling and storming with emotions more potent than the weather around us. His gaze held me in place, and I was as powerless to leave him as I was to stop the storm. “Can we at least get out of this rain?”

He shook his head at me as he finally let go of his grasp on my hand. “Don’t pretend you don’t love the rain, puddles.”

His use of my nickname and the loss of contact between us brought me out of the daze I’d fallen into. I shot him a scowl. “Fine, what do you want?”

He chuckled darkly under his breath as his gaze dropped to my lips. “What do I want?” It seemed like he was asking the question to himself, but he quickly shook his head, as if he was clearing his mind of whatever he had been thinking. He focused his eyes back on mine. “I want to tell you that I’m sorry. I know I’ve upset you by keeping you in the contest.”

“You think I’m angry at you for that?”

“Well, yeah…” His voice trailed off and he frowned. “That’s not why you’re upset?”

I took a small step backward from him, hesitating as I tried to come up with a response. He mimicked my step though, keeping close to me.

“Well?” he prompted. Rain was running down his face, and every emotion he was feeling was laid bare in his eyes. He was curious and confused, but he wasn’t the only one. My mind was in a state of chaos.

I looked away from him and out into the stormy night as I tried to line up my thoughts. My feelings were like a messed up bundle of yarn, and my mind was just as muddled.

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